Hintertuxer Gletscher

The Hintertux Glacier (Hintertuxer Gletscher) is one of the most popular ski areas in the high Alps of Tyrolean Austria. It offers unconditional snow from October to May. In summer, the resort remains open for hiking. Its highest elevation occurs at 10,660 feet in the saddle between the peaks of the Gefrorene-Wand-Spitzen. Glacial ice there is about 390 feet thick at the deepest point. The people mover on the mountain is called the Gletcherbus. It is the highest cable car system using two cables in the world. There is an extensive hut system for summer use and a glacial cave extending over 10 km known as the Spannagelhaus. We visited the mountain on October 5th. it was crowded with skiers from Munich and beyond. As a former skier (hip replacement in 2003) I still possess considerable interest in skiing. This was my first visit to the Tyrolean Alps, considered by many to be the center of skiing in Europe. Nearby Solden, headquarters of the American Olympic Ski Team, recently lost two upcoming skiers in an avalanche. Hintertuxer was a pleasant side trip in our Austrian adventure last fall.